STYLE NOTES ON: MARIA ELENA GROENEWOUD

When interior meets fashion, I'm in. Maria Elena Groenewoud is posting very chic outfit reels from the most aesthetic kitchen, and I've been taking notes on her outfits and shelf styling.

Do you know these Instagram accounts that don’t just show outfits, they show moods? You’re invited into a world and not just presented with a collection of photos. Imagery rather than simply images, lifestyle rather than fashion.

Maria Elena Groenewoud has this exact kind of rare Instagram feed. Whenever I visit her profile, I don’t look at pictures - I feel like casually walking through her home, barefoot, with a warm cup of coffee in my hands. I watch her putting on very relaxed but chic outfits, I see how she has laid out coffee table books in a way that seems natural but there’s thought in the details. And I am in love.
I want to move in and raid her wardrobe.

*all pictures by Maria Elena Groenewoud

Maria Elena is an interior designer based in the Netherlands, and has also written a book on style periods which looks like an artwork by itself.

Her outfits, just like her interior style, always look effortless but still special, and I think you can learn a lot about style principles from her, so let’s break down her style formulas and principles.

But first, to see her looks in full motion, here’s my favorite reel from her feed:

mariaelena_groenewoud

A post shared by @mariaelena_groenewoud

MARIA ELENA’S STYLE WORDS AND STYLE PHILOSOPHY

I found it hard to settle on three words for Maria Elena, to be honest. In the end, I think they would be oversized, minimal and unexpected. Because there’s always one detail - a cut-out shoulder, an open back, an artsy piece of jewelry, undone hair or a colorful or ‘wrong’ shoe that breaks up the look. I think her style philosophy is all about creating harmony in her looks and keeping it interesting. She breathes art and creativity and you can see that on the surface, too.

STYLE FORMULA NO. 1: WIDE LEG PANTS + OVERSIZED TOP, SHIRT OR BLAZER

So the first style formula Maria wears on repeat is wide leg pants with some kind of oversized upper part. She tucks in her shirts to give the look structure and often wears pointy toes with a small heel.

Here’s Maria Elena styling her black wide leg pants in ten ways. You’re welcome:

mariaelena_groenewoud

A post shared by @mariaelena_groenewoud

STYLE FORMULA NO. 2: SHORTER JACKETS + WIDE LEG PANTS

She also wears a lot of shorter jackets that she combines with wide leg pants and different layers underneath to create an interest in silhouettes.

STYLE FORMULA NO. 3: CREATING INTEREST

… which leads us to formula number three: Creating interest and excitement. If you’re someone who also dresses in minimal colors and silhouettes, you know that your outfits can get boring. Maria creates contradictions and something the eye can land on with the following points:

• structured handbags (structured in form or material)

• jewelry (omg, please take a closer look at her jewelry collection)

• maxi dresses - there are a lot of images of maxi dresses on her feed that create a great alternation to the pants-looks

To end this post, here’s another reel I love (and how cool is her bathroom mirror?):

mariaelena_groenewoud

A post shared by @mariaelena_groenewoud

---

As always, I hope you enjoyed this Saturday’s Style Notes - let me know what you think! Please also get lost in Maria Elena’s reels like I did while putting this together.

Have a great rest of your weekend, bye! xx